


a quiet night for just the two of us

by passionfruitbowls



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Ladrien | Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng as Ladybug, Movie Night, Sleepy Cuddles, pre-reveal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-25
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-03-09 07:20:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27129811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/passionfruitbowls/pseuds/passionfruitbowls
Summary: First dates can be a very nerve-wracking thing. Fortunately for Ladybug, Adrien has an idea on how to help set the mood.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 4
Kudos: 31





	a quiet night for just the two of us

**Author's Note:**

> I should probably point out that is my (very self-indulgent) first fanfic so I’m not entirely sure how polished this’ll be. Hope you enjoy it :)

“Come on, we have to go now or else you’re going to be late!” Tikki’s voice called out to Marinette from the bedroom.

She hastily examined herself in the bathroom mirror one last time to play it safe before going out to join her kwami.

Her hair had been pulled back into a neat bun and was held up by one of her signature red bows, with a few stray wisps hanging down beside her ears (she had decided that pigtails would’ve been too childish). To try and make herself look a bit more presentable, she had thrown on some blush and mascara, as well as cherry red lipstick to match her suit. 

“Well, how do I look?” she asked eagerly once she had stepped out of the bathroom, both hands on her hips. 

“You look amazing, Marinette! I’m sure Adrien will think so too.” Tikki responded with a smile, which she reciprocated.

“Thanks. Let’s just hope he likes the present I made.” she said.

Picking up the small paper bag on the desk beside her, Marinette called her transformation and leapt out of the window.

* * *

Ladybug’s heart pounded wildly in her chest as she swung from rooftop to rooftop, nearing her destination. Hopefully the strong gust of wind hadn’t ruined the touch of makeup she’d put on before heading out.

As she ran, the aggravating feeling of nervousness in the back of her mind only grew worse. This was her first date with Adrien - _Adrien Agreste!_ Many girls would probably kill to be in her position right now, and she _really_ didn’t want to blow it. But she knew what a stammering, klutzy mess she could be around him as Marinette; who’s to say that she’d fare much better as Ladybug? What if he didn’t like the gift she prepared for him? What if she panicked and said something stupid?

She stopped in her tracks and inhaled slowly, gathering her thoughts. _It’ll all be fine, I can do this_ , she reassured herself. 

Once the Agreste mansion was within view she saw that Adrien had left his window open for her and, latching her yoyo onto the chimney, swung inside.

* * *

His bedroom was empty, and the lights were off. Candles had been placed all over the room on top of shelves and beside the windows, their rich smell of cinnamon and nutmeg filling the air. Her eyes fell to the coffee table and she saw that an array of different snacks and drinks were laid out on a placemat: sodas, popcorn, fries, kebabs, you name it. She placed her paper bag down beside a plate of mini sausages, then straightened up as her eyes scanned the room so she could take it all in. 

_Wow,_ Ladybug thought, _he_ _really outdid himself_. Suddenly she felt a warm hand on her shoulder, and a soft voice behind her whispered “Hey,”

Spinning round, she was greeted by a pair of bright green eyes and a warm smile. Immediately a grin broke out on her own face.

“Hey,” she said, chuckling slightly. There was a moment of silence as they took each other in, and as she looked him up and down she could sense her cheeks growing warmer. 

Adrien was dressed in a crisp white shirt - not a single stain or wrinkle in sight - with sleek black trousers that fell down to just above his ankles. His hair was more dishevelled and unkempt than usual, giving him a sort of rebellious, bad boy look. Plus - Ladybug had to bite back a gasp upon noticing this - the top two buttons of his shirt had been left undone, leaving his neck completely exposed (along with half of his collarbone). She thought of the burgundy sleeveless dress that had been sitting in her wardrobe, unused, for months, and wished that she could’ve worn one of her own outfits rather than having to stick with her superhero costume. Spandex suits are hardly the type of thing one wears on a date. Her gaze fell to the floor in embarrassment.

“You look beautiful.” he blurted out suddenly, and looking up at him again she realised that he was just as red in the face as she was. 

“T-thank you…” she stammered quietly, brushing a strand of hair away from her cheek. For a minute they simply stood there, stiff and awkward with their hands by their sides, before Adrien finally mustered up the courage to speak. 

“So, erm... remember when we were talking about ideas on what to do for the occasion, and you were telling me how much you love movies? Well, that got me thinking, and I had an idea. Hold on a sec,” 

He turned round and went over to the shelf beside his desk, returning a few moments later with a DVD box in his hand. “What do you say we watch a movie?” he asked. “We don’t have to if you don’t want to! I just thought that it might be nice, plus I had all these snacks lying around, and some films I thought you might like-“

“Adrien,” Ladybug interrupted him, placing a hand on his forearm, “of course I’ll watch one with you.”

She immediately felt his muscles relax underneath her grip, and the vibrant look in his eyes from before had returned. Her breath hitched in her lungs as she gazed up at him in adoration. _Gah_ , he was so amazing.

* * *

”Mind telling me what movie you have in mind?” Standing up on her tiptoes, she tried to sneak a glance at the cover of the box, however he instead held it high above her head, making it impossible for her to see. 

"Now that would just be ruining the surprise, wouldn’t it?” he said with a smirk. Poor Ladybug, however, got the wrong end of the stick, and her eyes widened in shock.  
"It’s not a horror film, is it? Adrien, _please_ don’t tell me you’re going to make us watch a horror film!” 

For a second he looked taken aback at her comment - and then he burst into laughter. 

“No, it’s not a horror film. I promise I’m not that mean,” he assured her once he had calmed himself down. Lowering his arm at last, he let her see the name of the film.

“ _Amélie_? You’re sure that one’s not a bit... overrated?” she asked, biting the inside of her cheek. 

“C’mon, it’s a classic! Everyone loves those!”

Adrien went over to the television and placed the CD into the DVD player, then, grabbing a tray of snacks off the table, he sat himself down on the sofa and gestured to the empty space next to him. “Come sit.” he insisted.

“Only if you let me have the first share of popcorn.” she said, grinning. Of course she was only teasing, but he seemed to take her seriously.

“Ouch, you drive a hard bargain, Ladybug.”

Nonetheless, he smiled fondly and passed her the bowl. She took it from him and sank onto the sofa as the opening scene began to play. She had seen this film once years ago with her mother, but her memory of it was rather vague. Very quickly, however, Ladybug realised that paying attention to the screen would be a challenge when Adrien was seated _right next to her._ His eyes were glued to the screen, a broad grin on his face that stretched from ear to ear, and it was hard to ignore the way she could hear her pulse vibrating in her ears.

* * *

Within the first fifteen minutes they had scoffed down almost the entire popcorn bowl, and had since moved on to the fries and various small desserts, macarons and mini crêpes among them. 

“Y’know, I was thinking about getting us ice cream, but...” Adrien spoke between mouthfuls, “It probably would’ve just melted,”

He swallowed and flashed her a toothy grin. Giggling, she reached over to playfully punch his arm. 

“ _Stop_! If you’d bought us anything more I probably would’ve just refused and told you to send it back.”

The film was actually much more hilarious than Ladybug had anticipated; she had expected it to be overly sappy with a dry sense of humour, yet at one point she even found herself in stitches from laughing.

”It’s pretty good, isn’t it?” Adrien said, and she could hear the joy in his voice. 

She turned her head to face him, only to be caught off guard by the incredibly soft smile he was giving her. Shuffling closer she could see that his cheeks and the bridge of his nose were tinted pink, just as she felt a blush begin to creep out from under her mask. He had never looked at her this way before (as Marinette or Ladybug) and definitely not with this level of intimacy. Then a horrible realisation dawned upon her - their faces were only inches apart. 

With a loud yelp, she jumped back to where she had originally been sitting, and even in the dim lighting she could now clearly see his face had turned beetroot-red. She groaned and buried her face in her hands. She had been about to _kiss him!  
_

“S-sorry,” he stammered, his voice barely a whisper, as he turned his attention back to the television. “I guess I just... got caught up in the moment,” 

“It’s fine.” she murmured. They both sat in silence as the film continued playing, unsure of what to say or do. Suddenly realising that he couldn’t take it any more, Adrien decided to break the ice.

“Uh, are you... liking the movie so far?” 

His voice was now very high-pitched and hesitant, and he unconsciously began opening and closing his hands as he waited for a response.

”Hm? Oh! Erm, y-yeah, I love it!” She eventually answered, but her tone sounded unconvincing. She let out a nervous (and very obviously fake) chuckle, then glanced down at her hands clasped together in her lap. His shoulders sagged in disappointment, and, picking up the remote, he hit pause on the movie. 

“Look...” He began, “I’m sorry this is so last-minute. I really wanted to do something proper, but because of the whole secret identity thing our options are... kind of limited. I promise next time it’ll be better.”

She looked up at him in shock. 

_“What?_ I-" She was very near ready to go on a full blown rant about how he didn’t need to be sorry, that - if anything - it was her fault, however when she saw the downtrodden look on his face, her heart sank and she realised it was probably better to speak gently. She knew how sensitive Adrien was; one harsh or even remotely negative sentence could sometimes flip his mood entirely. Truth be told, she didn’t really blame him, given what his father was like.

“Hey, listen...” She reached out her hand and cupped his cheek, and when she tilted his head up to look at her he let out a sigh of relief upon seeing that she wasn’t upset.

"Adrien, it’s not your fault, you didn’t do anything wrong. I’m very grateful that you went to all the trouble to do this, really, I am - I think I’m just still trying to work out the whole dating thing. And, for what it’s worth, I don’t _need_ a big fancy dinner to want to spend time with you. You’re my boyfriend, and as long as I’m with you, I’m happy.”

He felt as though he might begin to cry. It had been so long since anyone had looked at him or spoken to him like this - with such kindness and tenderness and _love_. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came; instead a single fat tear rolled down his cheek, which Ladybug brushed away with her thumb.

She pulled him into a tight hug, burying her face into the nape of his neck while he rested his head atop of hers.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to make you cry.” he heard her whisper, and his grip on her tightened.

”It’s okay,” he said. “I... I think I needed that.”

Eventually they pulled away, both smiling, and somehow they ended up holding hands, which neither one of them objected to. Ladybug then positioned herself so that she was snuggled up next to Adrien, her head resting comfortably on his shoulder.   
  
He pressed the play button on the remote, and they went back to watching the movie. It was now easier for them to make small talk with one another - the awkward tension from before was no longer there, and as they sat there she knew that years from now, she would remember all of this; from the way he reared his head back with laughter, eyes bright and lively, to the way her chest felt clammy and tight every time he leaned closer to whisper in her ear, his warm breath tickling her face.

She didn’t really pay attention to the film after that; she was so focused on the feeling of her fingers intertwined with his and the shared heat of their bodies pressed together, remaining oblivious to the fact that her eyelids were growing heavier and heavier. Adrien, however, did notice, and soon enough she was asleep in his arms.

* * *

By the time Ladybug woke up it was dark outside, and she noticed that the food at the table had all been cleared away and the television was switched off. She groaned and stretched her stiff arms high above her head - she hadn’t realised how tired she felt. After years of being dragged out of bed in the wee hours of the morning to fight akumas, she had grown used to functioning on four or five hours sleep a day. However on a Saturday evening after a long week of stress and planning and rushing to try and finish commissions, she wasn’t exactly in the best frame of mind.

”Oh, you’re awake.” she heard Adrien say from behind her. Turning round to look at him, she saw that he was sitting at the edge of his bed, hunched over and with a book in hand.

“Aww, did I miss the end of the movie?” She asked with a sigh. She couldn’t help but feel disappointed that she hadn’t gotten to properly enjoy it with him. Placing his book down on the bed, he got up and walked over to where she was sitting, resting his arms on the edge of the sofa.

”Don’t worry about it,” he said, smiling. “Maybe next time we should have our date a bit earlier.”

Ladybug blushed furiously and attempted to form a reply, yet all she could manage was a few incoherent noises.

” _N-next time?_ ” She eventually spluttered. Adrien’s eyes went wide as saucers, and suddenly he launched into full-blown panic mode.

“Er- I mean- Only if you want to! Please don’t feel pressured to say yes or anything-“ He began rambling on while Ladybug sat gawking at him. Once the shock had worn off, however, she found herself smiling at him. It seemed this was another thing they had in common - a tendency to jump to the worst conclusion about things and then get into a flap about it. She leaned forward and took his hand in hers.

“Relax, relax, I’m not going to bite your head off.” She assured him, and then clambered her way off the sofa to come and stand beside him. “Yes, I hope there will be a next time. But first and foremost... I want to say thank you for tonight. This whole thing you prepared for us” - she gestured around the room with her free hand - “was really sweet, and I’m really happy to have been able to spend time with you.”

She took a deep breath and, rising up onto her toes, pressed a gentle kiss to the corner of his mouth. 

An electric shock passed through Adrien’s body at the feeling of her lips on his skin. They were warm and soft, and he was now very aware of how little distance there was between them. And then, just as quick as it had started, it was over, and she pulled away. She looked up at him through her long lashes, her cheeks now tinted pink and a smile forming at the corner of her mouth. For a brief moment all he could focus on was the rigorous thumping of his heart inside his chest, and then he cleared his throat.

He found that he too was now smiling as he spoke,“You’re welcome, I enjoyed it too. And... you can come by any time you want. Seriously, I don’t mind.”

_In fact, I’d like it very much.  
_

Ladybug squeezed his hand tighter.

”Of course, I’ll be sure to stop by tomorrow again. But I’m afraid I have to go now, it’s really late!”  
She ran over to the window and paused just before heading out. “Oh, and Adrien, you may want to have a look in that paper bag I left for you.”

”Oh? What for?” He asked, raising an eyebrow quizzically. 

“It’s a surprise.” She said, and winked fondly. Then, after giving him a two-finger salute, she leapt out of the window.

* * *

Adrien made his way over to the coffee table where the paper bag sat, and noticed a small label attached to one of the handles.   
Picking it up he saw that ‘ _To Adrien, with love,’_ had been written on it along with a few scribbled-on love hearts. It contained a large and very soft item, which he eagerly pulled out and unwrapped.

It was a wool jumper that was coloured red, and had smaller patches of black on it that had obviously been designed to look like ladybugs. Holding it up to his chest, he realised that it was perfectly tailored to his size, and he felt an overwhelming sense of happiness - his lady had gone out of her way to get this for _him_! It was now his to wear whenever he wanted, and when asked about it he would beam with pride and say “It was a present from my girlfriend.” 

When he (at long last) went to bed that night, he made a mental note to tell Ladybug how much he loved the gift and her the next time they saw each other. One word repeated itself in his head over and over again, like a broken record.   
  
_Girlfriend._ She was his _girlfriend,_ and while it still felt strange to think of her that way, he could certainly get used to it. 

**Author's Note:**

> thank you so much for reading! feel free to let me know what you think in the comments ❤️


End file.
